WOMEN have shared their experiences of feeling unsafe on the streets of town after a man was found guilty of the ‘horrific’ rape of a vulnerable teenage girl in Snow Hill car park.
Joseph Raymond Lloyd (64) was convicted of the crime this month, having followed his victim through town and attacked her.
Snow Hill was one area of concern highlighted last year by the Violence Against Women and Girls Taskforce. As part of their research, the taskforce collated a map of areas where women reported feeling unsafe.
Kate Wright, the taskforce’s independent chair, stressed that the map highlighted perceived danger and not actual crimes, but she said it was ‘a lot easier to commit this crime in this area than in other parts of the Island’.
The VAWG taskforce’s heatmap incorporated 161 responses, the majority of which were about areas in town – particularly around Le Geyt, Cheapside, Snow Hill and Halkett Place.
Women called for better lighting and increased police patrols and presence, in response to a JEP post online.
One woman told the JEP that someone tried to grab her ‘almost every time’ she was out.
Another described feeling ‘on edge’ walking back to her car after a night out.
She said: ‘I don’t put myself in situations where I’m walking in dark places on my own. I probably wouldn’t walk through Snow Hill – I would avoid areas if I was going for a night out.’
‘I don’t go out after dark any more because it’s not safe for women,’ another Islander said.
Detective Superintendent Alison Fossey said: ‘Snowhill was one of five areas highlighted by the VAWG taskforce using the safety heatmap data. We received the report on 10 July and will now look to address the concerns raised in relation to lack of lighting, CCTV and anti-social behaviour as part of a problem solving initiative with our partners.
‘The data is extremely valuable to us to inform our patrol plans and also our policing of the night-time economy.
‘Although actual crime in Snow Hill is relatively low we understand that not all crime is reported to police and that perceptions of crime matter and impact on an individual’s feeling of safety and wellbeing. We would encourage the public to report all crime to us so we can continue to focus our efforts on prevention and step up patrols in the right locations.’
Ms Wright said that ‘lower-level’ behaviours such as catcalling affected women’s day-to-day movement because it made them feel unsafe.
She added: ‘A lot of it had to do with poor lighting, a lack of police officers, and gangs of men hanging out in large groups.’
This impacts women’s behaviours and how independent they are, she said.
Ms Wright said: ‘When one is scared, one has to adjust one’s behaviour.
‘People adjust their behaviour so they avoid that area at night, they take a much longer route, they only go with a friend, they carry their keys on their wrist as a weapon.
‘They adjust their behaviour to try and protect themselves all the time without even thinking about it.
‘Women are adapting their lives to protect themselves in a way that men don’t have to.’
She added that behaviours such as catcalling were not crimes or not perceived as crimes – but that ‘they contribute to women feeling uncomfortable’.
Ms Wright added that she did not want people to be alarmed and that it was also important to tackle fears that were unfounded. Overall, she said, Jersey was a relatively safe place for women.
She praised the ‘brilliant’ support services that exist in the Island, the recent expansion of domestic abuse legislation, as well as the formation of the VAWG taskforce.
Referring to last week’s verdict, she said: ‘I’m just really pleased that the victim has received justice because that’s certainly not the case for all women.
‘I would hope that it will give them a little more confidence to come forward if they do experience gender-based violence.’
She added: ‘What [the girl] has been through is just horrific, but now she can focus on recovery and there is support available on the Island to help her through that is high-quality.’
The taskforce’s research is due to be published in October, and is to include data from surveys and focus groups – including with teenagers – as well as recommendations to improve women’s safety.
Ms Wright added that she hoped all Islanders, not just government, would take note of the report, and that it would create actual change.
Home Affairs Minister Helen Miles said: ‘The safety heatmap used by the VAWG Taskforce, as part of its call for evidence, identified a number of areas of concern within St Helier, including the Snow Hill area.
‘Respondents felt that better lighting and an increased police presence would improve the safety of the area.
‘The findings from the safety heatmap, in addition to the findings from the wider public call for evidence and targeted engagement, are being used by the taskforce to develop recommendations on how best to tackle violence against women and girls in Jersey. The Taskforce is not due to publish their recommendations until after the summer, and so I am unable to comment on how these recommendations may relate to the Snow Hill area at this stage.’
St Helier Constable Simon Crowcroft said that although Snow Hill was government land and not within the parish’s remit, he would support any measures to make it feel safer – including more lighting or CCTV.
